2. digital
  3. 182096-74467

Esoteric VRDS-NEO not reading discs

I have an Esoteric K-01 cd/sacd player that is around 7 years old.  Recently the transport tray began to have a problem.  It would only open part way on the first 3 trys.  I was told that it needed a new transport drive belt, so I replaced the belt and the tray opened fine.  However, now the laser does not read the disc consistently.  It has played fine for a few hours, but most of the time it reads "no disc" or "disc error."   have contacted Esoteric and there only response is that I need to send the unit to an authorized Esoteric repair center.  They also have told me that the service manual is not for sale to the public.  This unit has been off Warranty for many years.  The cost to send it to the repair center is over $100 each way.

All this trouble for a part that costs around $0.40 for a generic replacement, and $16 for an authentic belt from Esoteric.  This player cost around $20k new and it is  rendered inoperable after 7 years because of the failure of a cheap belt. I do not think I should have to pay hundreds of dollars to have it repaired.  It does not seem fair to me that Esoteric will not help me to fix this problem myself.

What do you think?  Is there anyone out there who can help me to understand what the problem is with the laser not reading discs properly?  I am willing to pay someone for their help.

russ751

Showing 2 responses by cleeds

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cleeds
5,658 posts
 

stereo5

I do not think shipping your CD player to Esoteric for around $200 both ways is too much for a 20K product is unreasonable...

+1. I know it can sting, but I consider occasional costs such as this just part of the hobby, even if obviously it's not the fun part. A product such as the Esoteric deserves the best service available, and it's a very specialized product.

Think about repairing an exotic car, it’s the same scenario.

Yes, it's part of the cost of ownership.

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cleeds
5,658 posts
 

russ751

The first time they sent the player back the door still had problems ... TAP had me send the player back ... When I got it back after the second repair, the opening and closing of the door is improved but still reads "tray error" at times ...

Everyone makes mistakes and repair of audio gear can be a tricky business, so I can accept that the first repair attempt was not successful. But with the possible exception of shipping damage, there is no damn excuse for the second failure. That’s just sloppy.

I can imagine that you are frustrated and resigned to this unit never functioning properly again. But if I were in your shoes (and I have been, although not with Esoteric), I’d send it back once more. My reasoning is that these companies don’t know they’ve failed unless the customer tells them. And in this case, Esoteric/TAP has failed miserably.

 

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